Shooting game

ABSTRACT

A game board is divided into a plurality of zones. A zone is selected. A projectile is projected through the selected zone. The projectile is shot at. Whether the projectile was hit within the selected zone is determined. If the projectile was hit within the selected zone, the selected zone is marked. The marked zone is eliminated from further selection. A pre-determined number of points are assigned based on the configuration of marked zones.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates in general to shooting games and, more particularly, to a shooting game that requires both strategy and shooting accuracy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0002] According to principles of the present invention, in one embodiment, a game board is divided into a plurality of zones. A zone is selected. A projectile is projected through the selected zone. The projectile is shot at while it is projected through the selected zone. If the projectile is hit within the selected zone, the selected zoned is marked. The marked zone is then unavailable for further selection.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0003]FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating one embodiment of the method for using the invention.

[0004]FIG. 2 is an illustration of one embodiment of system for practicing the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0005]FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of practicing the method of the present invention. A game board 2 (see FIG. 2) is divided 10 into a plurality of zones 4. The game board 2 is of any configuration, including but not limited to square, round, oval, rectangular, or rhomboid. The game board 2 is made of any material. The game board 2 is divided into any number of zones 4 and is divided to create zones configured in any configuration. Examples of zone configurations are four zones vertically by four zones horizontally, three zones vertically by three zones horizontally, five semi-circular zones, and the like. Zones 4 are of any size and shape. Any zone 4 need not be identical in size and shape to any other zone 4.

[0006] A zone 4 is selected 12. The zone 4 is selected 12 by any means for selecting. Examples of means for selecting 12 are random selection, computer automated selection, or verbal selection. A projectile 6 is projected 14 through the selected zone 4. The projectile 6 is any object suitable for projecting through a zone, including but not limited to targets, sporting clays, pigeons or the like. The projectile 6 is projected 14 by any means for projecting the projectile 6 through a zone 4. Examples of means for projecting include catapults, traps, launchers, and any other projectile projectors.

[0007] The projectile 6 is shot at 16 while the projectile 6 is projected 14 through the selected zone 4. The projectile 6 may be shot at with any means for shooting 16. Examples of shooting means 16 are guns, rifles, bows and arrows, slingshots, throwing, joystick maneuvers, and computer commands. Whether the projectile 6 is hit within the selected zone 4 is determined 18. Determining 18 is accomplished by any means for determining whether the projectile 6 was hit including visual, tactile, and computer-assisted confirmation. If it is determined 16 that the projectile 6 was hit within the selected zone 4, the selected zone 4 is marked 20. Marking 20 includes any means for indicating that a zone 4 has been hit such as visual labeling or physical blocking. The marked zone 4 is then eliminated as available for further selection 12. The marked zone 4 remains unavailable for selection in a subsequent round and by another player.

[0008] Optionally, when a zone 4 is marked 20, a score is assigned based upon a pre-determined set of scoring rules. Examples of pre-determined scoring rules are scoring rules based on the difficulty in hitting a zone, marking a series of zones, marking a sequence of zones in a particular order, marking a particular pattern of zones such as three-in-a-row or four-in-a-row, or the like. An example of one embodiment of scoring rules is the assignment of one point for marking three zones in a row. Another embodiment of scoring rules is the assignment of two points for marking four zones in a row that is determined to be the most difficult to hit. Yet another embodiment is the assignment of one point per successful marking of zones in a particular order, with the winner determined by the most points at the end of several rounds of play.

[0009] Illustrated in FIG. 2 is one embodiment of the system for practicing the present invention. In this embodiment, game board 2 is in the shape of a tic-tac-toe board. The selector 22 is a person who selects a zone 4. Projectile 6 is projected by a projectile projector 24 through a zone 4 of the game board 2. In this embodiment, zone 4 is a square of the tic-tac-toe board. The shooter 26 that shoots at the projectile 6 in this embodiment is a person using a firearm. The scorer 28 in this embodiment is a person who views the game board 2 and the projectile 6 and determines if the projectile 6 was hit within the selected zone 4. Marker 30 marks the zone if the projectile 6 was hit within the selected zone 4. If the selected zone 4 is marked by a marker 30, the zone 4 is eliminated from further selection by the selector 22. The configuration represented in FIG. 2 is intended only to illustrate one embodiment of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that modifications as described in the description of FIG. 1 will apply as well to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0010] The foregoing description is only illustrative of the invention. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention embraces all such alternatives, modifications, and variances that fall within the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for a game comprising: dividing a game board into a plurality of zones; selecting a zone; projecting a projectile through the selected zone; shooting at the projectile in the selected zone; determining if the projectile was shot within the selected zone; and marking the selected zone if the projectile was hit within the selected zone wherein marking the selected zone eliminates the marked zone from further selection.
 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of assigning a pre-determined number of points based on the configuration of marked zones.
 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising: projecting at least one subsequent projectile through at least one zone; shooting at the subsequent projectile; and determining if the subsequent projectile was hit within at least one zone.
 4. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of assigning a pre-determined number of points based on the number of subsequent projectiles hit within at least one zone.
 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of creating teams, each team alternating turns in completing all of the steps of claim
 1. 6. The method of claim 2 wherein points are assigned for a three-in-a-row configuration of marked zones.
 7. A system for a game comprising: a game board divided into a plurality of zones; a selector that selects a zone; a projectile projector disposed to project projectiles through the selected zone; at least one shooter that shoots at the projectile; a scorer that determines if the projectile was hit within the selected zone; and a marker that marks the selected zone if the scorer determines that the projectile was hit within the selected zone wherein the marked zone is eliminated from further selection by the selector.
 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the scorer assigns a pre-determined number of points based on the configuration of marked zones.
 9. The system of claim 7 wherein: the projector projects at least one subsequent projectile through at least one zone; the shooter shoots at the subsequent projectile; and the scorer determines if the subsequent projectile was hit within at least one zone.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the scorer assigns a pre-determined number of points based on the number of subsequent projectiles hit within at least one zone.
 11. The method of claim 7 wherein the scorer assigns points for a three-in-a-row configuration of marked zones.
 12. A program storage system readable by a computer, tangibly embodying a program, applet, or instructions executable by the computer to perform method steps for a game, the method steps comprising: dividing a game board into a plurality of zones; selecting a zone; projecting a projectile through the selected zone; shooting at the projectile in the selected zone; determining if the projectile was shot within the selected zone; and marking the selected zone if the projectile was hit within the selected zone wherein marking the selected zone eliminates the selected zone from further selecting.
 13. The program storage system of claim 12 further comprising the step of assigning a pre-determined number of points based on the configuration of marked zones.
 14. The program storage system of claim 12 further comprising: projecting at least one subsequent projectile through at least one zone; shooting at the subsequent projectile; and determining if the subsequent projectile was hit within at least one zone.
 15. The program storage system of claim 12 further comprising the step of assigning a pre-determined number of points based on the number of subsequent projectiles hit within at least one zone.
 16. The program storage system of claim 12 further comprising the step of creating teams, each team alternating turns in completing all of the steps of claim
 12. 17. The program storage system of claim 12 wherein points are assigned for a three-in-a-row configuration of marked zones. 